Perhaps it went without saying, in much the same way that Cameron Smith was eased into the Australian captaincy following the retirement of Darren Lockyer. He was the obvious choice.

Sinfield, who has led Leeds with such distinction for the last 10 years, was always one of the front runners to take over when his Rhinos team-mate Jamie Peacock stepped down from the international scene in June 2012 to concentrate on club matters.

The goalkicking stand-off or loose forward had won 19 caps before he was appointed to captain England in last year's autumn international series and he duly led them to a convincing triumph on his way to being named the winner of the Golden Boot as international player of the year.

That award, scoffed at by much of the Australian media, nevertheless confirmed Sinfield's arrival on the big stage after flitting in and out of the national team since bursting onto the scene in 2000.

Whenever he was asked about the captaincy during the build-up to the World Cup, McNamara maintained that Sinfield would lead the team as long as he was in it.

And any lingering doubts over Sinfield's position were removed when the Leeds playmaker went off with a dislocated thumb halfway through England's one-off game against the Exiles in June.

With Sinfield pulling the strings, from stand-off initially and then as hooker when James Roby went off, England pulled out to a comfortable 24-0 interval lead and provided genuine cause for optimism.

In his absence, however, they struggled for any cohesion and eventually stuttered to a 30-10 victory, raising fresh question marks over England's ability to match it with World Cup favourites Australia and holders New Zealand.

If his appointment for the World Cup was rubber-stamped there and then, no one told Sinfield and he was certainly taking nothing for granted.

"From getting the job last year, I was under no illusion that I was guaranteed this role going forward," he said, ever the diplomat.

"There are a number of guys who could have got this job and done it fantastically well.

"If it meant I wasn't involved or was playing back-up as part of the squad and helping out, I would have been more than happy to play that role.

"When you look through the list of names, there are a number of club captains and people who have captained England before.

"It's not a one-man job any way. At different times people lead in different ways. I think that's really important as a group going forward."

Despite playing down its importance, Sinfield acknowledges the significance of becoming only the fifth man to lead England or Great Britain in a World Cup on home soil.

"It's huge," he said. "Getting the job last year was the proudest moment of my career and probably the best moment of my career.

"And to be doing it in a World Cup on home soil, knowing the preparation we've had as a group and what the staff and we as players have invested in it, to get here now is a huge honour."

England honed their preparations in South Africa with a high-altitude training camp in Potchefstroom in readiness for their opening game against the Kangaroos and, although Sinfield is keen not to put his side under additional pressure, he understands the need to make a positive start.

"I think it's very important but I don't think it's all or nothing for us," he said.

"It's very important for the competition, with the opening ceremony and double-header, that we get off to a great start.

"Certainly as a squad we realise that and we're doing everything to make sure when we hit that field on the 26th we're 100 per cent and give it our best shot."